A WEST Molesey woman who dressed up as a boy and tricked two teenage girls into having a relationship with her is facing up to two years in prison.

Gemma Barker, 20, created three fictional characters on the internet who went on to introduce themselves to the teenage victims online as potential dates.

The victims, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, were totally taken in when she dressed up as two different teenage males and started real-life relationships with them, Guildford Crown Court heard on Monday. “It involved kissing, cuddling and groping,” said Ruby Selva, prosecuting.

Both victims were completely taken in by the bizarre deception, the court was told.

Ms Selva added: “Had either of them realised the ‘boys’ with who they were having relationships was, in fact, a girl, they would never have consented to what happened.”

The court heard both victims were astounded to discover that they had been a having an affair with a woman.

Barker, then of Island Farm Road, West Molesey, but now of Cherry Tree Road, Staines, is facing a possible prison sentence after pleading guilty to two specimen charges of sexual assault and one of fraud. The offences were carried out over a seven-month period between November 23 2009 and May 10 2010.

For the purposes of getting close to the victims, the court heard Barker created fictitious characters called Aaron Lampard, Conor McCormack and Luke Jones who had Facebook profiles, email addresses and mobile phone numbers.

Ms Selva said when Barker introduced herself in the flesh to the girls, she would wear hats and baggy clothes to hide her gender from them.

During the period under investigation, it emerged Barker had also tried unsuccessfully to swindle compensation cash by claiming one of her characters, Luke Jones, had assaulted her.

Chetna Patel, defending, said her client had never been in trouble with the law before.

“My client is rather a lonely person,” she said.

She said Barker appeared to be suffering from a disorder within the autism spectrum.

“It’s a very odd and exceptional case,” she added.

Barker was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register and was remanded on bail until March 2 for probation and psychological reports.

Adjourning the case, Judge Peter Moss said Barker could be described as ‘mad and dang-erous to know’.